CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sully stopped the van in front of the hospital, jumped out, and ran around to open the passenger door.
“Sullivan, what are you doing?” his mom said, clutching her purse as she stepped out. She pulled her hospital badge from her purse and rubbed it clean on her pink nursing scrubs. “You don’t have to open my door.”
Sully shut the door. “I’m just being nice, Ma.”
“I already said you can have the van tonight,” she said, clipping on her badge. “Just make sure Mona picks me up at five tomorrow morning, or there’s going to be trouble. You hear me?”
Sully watched his mom walk toward the staff entrance.
He stuck a piece of gum in his mouth and waved as she went into the hospital.
Basic intelligence told him he shouldn’t tell anyone he was leaving, that it would raise a red flag that he and Conor and Fitz were up to something.
But he hated the idea of leaving without letting his mom know.
He blew a bubble and got back in the van.
After they got settled out of town and sold the gold, he’d have to give her a quick call to make sure she knew he was okay—that he was just taking some time off with his friends.
He’d fallen off the radar before, so his mom wouldn’t be completely surprised by his disappearing act.
It just bothered him to think that she might worry.
His mom was the nicest person. She worked so hard.
And after dad died, she got little to no help from Mona or him.
He drove by Brannigan Senior High. He shook his head, looking at the school.
Without Dad around to keep them straight, he and Mona were hellions.
Always in trouble with teachers and the principal, costing Mom money and time with their shenanigans.
And now that they were out of school, they were still a drag on her.
Living at home. Eating her food. Even asking for spending money now and again. His mom deserved better.
His gum snapped as he chewed. Yeah, she did deserve better, but after tonight, he’d be able to give her better.
After they sold the gold, he’d come back and take care of her for a change.
Maybe he’d pay off her mortgage. How nice would that be?
It might even make up for all the shit he’d put her through.
Probably not, but it would be a start. He rolled down his window and spat out his gum, driving down the street toward home.
Parking the van in the driveway, he walked upstairs to the kitchen and filled a glass of water at the sink. Mona lay on the couch in the living room with her phone pressed against her ear, smiling while she talked.
“Whatta you doing?” he said, walking into the family room.
Mona glanced up. Her face shifted from sweet to sour.
Sully checked his watch. He sat on the couch next to her and drank his water. She turned her back on him and mumbled into her phone. “It’s nothing. My stupid brother just got home.”
Sully tapped her shoulder. She ignored him. He tapped again and said, “Did you feed Bruno and take him for a walk?”
Mona looked up. Bruno, their big, fawn boxer, lifted his head from the ratty pillow he slept on next to the heating vent in the kitchen. Mona gave Sully a death stare. “I’m on the phone.”
“Well, he still needs to eat and go for a walk,” said Sully.
He finished his glass of water and walked into the kitchen, placing the empty glass in the sink.
Bruno’s tail thumped on the floor. Sully sat on the floor next to Bruno and put the dog’s massive head in his lap, rubbing his ears.
Ma bought Bruno ten years ago. He was supposed to be her guard dog after Dad died.
Sully stroked Bruno’s head. Although his mother brought him home when he was a pup and treated him like her baby, the dog gravitated toward Sully, following him everywhere.
Even when he’d run the streets with Conor and Fitz as a teenager, Sully always made time to walk him, take him out in the yard, and throw him the ball.
Bruno was a good dog. Sully hugged him. Bruno licked his hand. Sully turned toward Mona.
“Listen,” he said, lowering his voice to a growl. “I’ll feed him and take him out, but I might not be home for a while. You need to take care of him while I’m gone. Don’t leave it all on Mom.”
That caught Mona’s attention. She straightened. “Where you going?”
Sully gave Bruno a final pat and stood. “None of your business.” He walked to the refrigerator, grabbed a can of dog food, got a spoon, and shoveled the meaty, gristly mess into a metal bowl next to Bruno’s makeshift bed. The dog got off his bed and sat perfectly still, looking up at Sully.
“Did you tell Mom you’re leaving?” Mona asked.
Sully held a raised hand at Bruno. He waited for a count of five, then said, “Get it.” Bruno wagged his tail and started eating.
Sully put the empty dog food can in the trash and talked while he washed his hands at the sink.
“Don’t worry about me. And by the way, Mom said you have to pick her up at five tomorrow morning. ”
“I’m not picking her up. You pick her up.”
Drying his hands, Sully rolled his eyes. He walked into the living room and tossed the hand towel at Mona. “I already told you. I’m gonna be gone. I got something to do tonight with Fitz and Conor. I’m not even gonna be here at five.”
Mona threw the towel back at him. She stared at Sully as she talked into her phone.
“Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter what my stupid brother says—I’m still going out tonight.
Let me call you back in a minute. I gotta talk to him.
” She ended the call and shook her head.
“You don’t tell me what to do. I’m going out with Derek Ryder tonight.
If Mom needs a ride, you pick her up, and then you can leave.
And you can tell Conor that you had to hold off on whatever you’re doing because I had a date with Derek. ”
“Fine,” said Sully. “Don’t pick Mom up. But she’s gonna be walking home cause I’m gonna be gone. So, too bad, so sad for you. Have fun dealing with her when she kicks your ass for not picking her up.”
With that, Sully turned and walked back into the kitchen.
“There he goes,” said Mona “Walking away from me, just like his friend, mister ‘I’m better than you,’ Conor Monroe.”
The dog leash clinked and jangled as Sully pulled it off the coatrack next to the front door.
He held it up. “I’m taking Bruno for a walk.
” He clicked the leash on to Bruno’s collar, opened the front door, and looked back.
“And I’m gonna remember how much of a bitch you were when I’m rich, so watch your mouth, Mona. ”
Sully walked out and closed the door behind him, relishing Mona’s confused look.
It was rare that he got the last word. No one got under his skin more than her.
She was, without a doubt, the one person on Earth who could make a man—any man—lose his shit.
Why she was such a fucking pain in the ass was a mystery he couldn’t figure.
According to his friends, Mona won the lottery on looks and a body that wouldn’t quit.
If she wanted to, she could walk into any bar in town and get drinks and food all night long without spending a cent.
Guys were that crazy about her. You’d think that having so much handed to her would make her halfway nice.
But no—she had to always fuck with him. And that attitude of hers always made him say shit he never meant to say, like he just did, goddammit.
He mumbled under his breath as he walked Bruno down the driveway, wishing he could take back that thing he said about being rich. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He watched Bruno squat and crap.
But Mona would have to be more than a pain in the ass to figure out that his leaving with Fitz and Conor and his comment about being rich added up to more than big talk.
She’d have to be a fucking genius to figure out they were planning a robbery tonight.
He didn’t think she was, but she’d surprised him in the past. If she figured it out and started blabbing around town, who knew whose attention she might attract?
He picked up Bruno’s poop with a doggie bag and continued down the block.
Thank God there wasn’t much time for her to think about it.
He, Fitz, and Conor needed to get in, get out, and get gone before anyone caught wind of what they were up to.
That shouldn’t be hard to do. When was the last time they had a job where they knew the combination to the safe and there were no guards to worry about?
Still, he’d seen a lot in his short life, and from everything he’d experienced, he knew he could count on one thing.
He looked back toward his house. Mona was on the deck, watching him. Bruno tugged on his leash. He continued down the street, feeling anxiety tighten his chest.
Nothing was ever easy.